Corrina Hayhoe started the campaign, Marshall’s Mission, after returning from the Royal Children’s Hospital where her 2-year-old son had his first go on a playground swing.

And despite Warrnambool having over 30 playgrounds, Mrs Hayhoe found there was not a suitable swing, or even much other play equipment at all, to cater for younger children with differing abilities.

The mission is to get a fenced all-inclusive playground for Warrnambool that has more than one piece of play equipment for children with differing abilities.

Mum Sylvanna Harrison said the playground should include mainstream play equipment as well as all-abilities equipment so all kids can play together.

Mrs Hayhoe said that when she started the campaign, she didn’t mind where in Warrnambool the council put it and, while she still feels that way, many who have supported her campaign believe it should be within the Lake Pertobe precinct because of the easy access and tourism potential.

Craig Haberfield said more people would come to Warrnambool if they knew the facilities were appropriate, and socially inclusive.

His daughter Grace is in a wheelchair and the one piece of equipment at Lake Pertobe suitable for her is the nest swing. “But you have to step over the 300mm-high timber fence across the sand to actually get her to the swing,” he said. “For all pieces of equipment in this playground, you have to physically transfer kids, or adults, if they’ve got mobility issues.”

Marshall’s dad Lee has also approached council staff and offered to pay for a swing suitable for his son, so long as the council installed and maintained it, but said he had not heard back.

“Warrnambool doesn’t have an all-inclusive playground, so there’s no where for Grace or Marshall to go and play,” Mrs Hayhoe said. 

“We’d have more than 100 families in Warrnambool with children with disabilities that need modified equipment and there’s nothing there for us.

“It’s not just about disabilities, it’s all abilities, all-inclusive.” Mrs Hayhoe said that while some playgrounds were being made accessible for prams and wheelchairs, it didn’t mean the play equipment was suitable. “Kids can take off. The accessible one is a Swan Reserve, on the highway. You don’t really want to be taking children with different abilities there,” she said. Mrs Hayhoe is hoping to form a committee so they can fund-raise and apply for grant’s to help the council build an all-inclusive playground.